


Panic Switch

by Valisandre



Series: Ballad of the Lion and his Mage [2]
Category: Warcraft (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arcane Manifestations, Complete, F/M, Grief, Happy Ending, Haunted Tower, Karazhan, M/M, Shades
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-04-30 17:34:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14502039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valisandre/pseuds/Valisandre
Summary: It's been 18 months since the fall of Gul'dan and the realm has been at peace. But something is happening at a tower, the tower long forgotten in the destroyed pass. It won't stay forgotten for long.





	1. There's Something Wrong

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2 of my Khadgar and Anduin series. I will be posting one chapter a week so that it's easier to keep my current pace going. :)

_ Screaming, the type that sends chills up your spine and turns your blood cold. Harsh whispers, frightened yelling and panic. So much panic. People running, screaming, dying. He’s running among them, trying to figure out what’s happening, what’s wrong. He’s running among them, trying to leave, trying to escape. Over all the screaming, all the yelling, loud and drowning everything out is sharp chanting, a voice that sounds like fire. Demonic, he recognizes the language. Medivh. The Guardian is killing everyone in Karazhan. All the guests, all the servants. Everyone is dying. He’s running and there’s nowhere he can hide. The tower is in flames. They are burning and there’s nothing he can do to stop it.  _

 

Khadgar gasps and sits up, wide awake. Sweating and panicked, it takes him a moment to realize where he was. The room he shares with Anduin, he’s safe. He’s not locked in the tower, he’s not burning and Medivh is dead. He killed the former Guardian and he can’t hurt anyone else. 

 

Anduin is startled out of a sound sleep by the movement to his right, Khadgar is sitting up, breathing heavily and looking around the room with a wild look on his face. He’s covered in sweat, it’s obvious the mage had a nightmare. 

 

“Hey” he says softly, reaching out and gently touching Khadgar’s back, letting go of the breath he’s holding as Khadgar stops tensing and buries himself into Anduin’s chest. “What happened? Nightmare?” 

 

Khadgar mumbles a reply into Anduin’s chest, before raising his head and nodding slightly. He feels the warrior’s arms circle him, his heartbeat slowly returning back to normal. He’s safe, he knows it was a nightmare but something is nagging at him. Something is telling him that he needs to go back to Karazhan. 

 

“Bookworm?” the fond nickname yanks Khadgar back out of his thoughts, and he looks up into his lover’s worried face. Anduin’s eyes are taking in Khadgar’s face, trying to read his thoughts and his brows knit further as he finds no answers. He’s worried, while they both have had their fair share of nightmares over the last 18 months, this one was the worst. Normally the mage would be back to sleep by now, comforted by Anduin’s embrace and gentle touches. Not this time, he looks panicked, and he can see thoughts are swirling around in his head. 

 

Khadgar sighs, knowing he can’t hide this from Anduin. The warrior would want to know, deserves to know. He may need his help, if there really is something going on. 

 

“There’s something wrong at Karazhan.” 

 

\--------------

 

Khadgar held on loosely to Anduin as they flew towards Karazhan. He had gotten over his irritation at the other man at insisting they fly rather than teleport. He had a fair point, if there really was something wrong with the tower, they wouldn’t have a clue what they were teleporting into. Having flown several times on a gryphon due to Anduin’s perpetual dislike of porting  _ even though it’s as smooth as possible, thank you,  _ so the feel of riding on the back of one is at least familiar. 

 

Anduin guided the gryphon into the descent, as the still dead and bare trees came into view. He was going to circle around to the ground entrance. They needed to take in the whole tower, starting from the bottom. He was still unnerved by Khadgar’s description of the nightmare, so was the mage if he were being honest. He gave his head a little shake, bringing him back to the present and narrowing his eyes at the strange shadows he could see moving along the ground. 

 

“Khadgar, look. What are those?” he pointed, bringing the mage’s attention to them as they seemed to hover above the ground, moving restlessly. He had never seen anything like it, and something told him it didn’t bode well for the state of the tower. 

 

Khadgar’s breath caught in his throat. He gripped Anduin’s tunic tighter, as he searched the grounds for a safe place to land. Seeing a raised cliffside, he pointed it out and Anduin guided the gryphon towards it. They both climbed off the saddle, Khadgar looking over the buildings and grounds around the tower. 

 

Many of small, outlying buildings had been destroyed when he purged the fel from the font, but the ruins still stood. All over the grounds black shadows, incorporeal humanoid shapes, restlessly roamed. They would hiss at each other as they crossed paths, but mostly just roamed around the grounds, in some sort of lost, aimless dance. 

 

Anduin rested his hand on Khadgar’s back, gently reminding the mage about his unanswered question. “What is it, Khadgar? Is it worse than you feared?” he tried to keep the worry from his voice, but he could tell whatever it was, it was bad. Not many things could shock the mage into speechlessness. 

 

“Yes.” 

 

Khadgar sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, searching for the words to explain just what they were seeing. 

 

“What are they?” 

 

“They’re called shades. They..” he hesitated. His dream made sense now. 

 

“Do you remember when we came here, when Llane summoned Medivh?” 

 

“Yes.” Anduin replied, a little hesitant to bring up those memories. 

 

“Do you recall asking Moroes where everyone was?” Khadgar asked, watching Anduin nod quietly. “In my dream, servants, guests, everyone that normally would be in the tower were trying to escape and then there was felfire.” 

 

“Wait, are you saying..?” 

 

“The shades are twisted spirits of the people killed here in Karazhan.”


	2. Ghosts in the Tower

They flew back to Stormwind in silence, both men lost in their thoughts. They had to plan before they acted, unsure of the best method in which to deal with what had become of the tower. Khadgar had not been back in six months, and even then it was quick teleport to grab a book he knew was there and back out. As far as he could tell, the warded parts of the tower were free of any shades or spirits, but he couldn’t be sure how strong the wards were. 

 

“I’m heading to the library, I know of a few books that could address shades and what to do about them.” Khadgar said as they dismounted and Lothar handed the reigns off to the flight master. Anduin nodded, “I’ll go speak to Taria. She will need to know what’s going on. So long as this doesn’t pose an immediate threat, we will take our time and approach this fully prepared.” The men walked in a comfortable silence through the streets to the castle. It was late evening, shop keeps were closing their stores down. They nodded hello to the citizens of Stormwind, all of those familiar with their Regent and the Guardian by now. 

 

The city was doing well and happy. The war with the orcs was pretty much non existent, the orcs settling mostly in Kalimdor as they preferred the climate there. There were still patches of them in the Eastern Kingdoms, but they kept to themselves. It seemed everyone adjusted to the new race on Azeroth. With the world at peace, Anduin spent much of his time training Varian, as when he came of age he would take over the throne as the rightful heir. Khadgar did, whatever it was mages did in their off time. He normally found the man in the library. 

 

They went their separate directions, Khadgar heading straight to the library. As he was walking in, he almost ran headfirst into Neridel. 

 

“Oh! Sorry!” he blurted out, nodding to the tall night elf. She just returned a gentle smile. “Khadgar! How are you?” 

 

The priestess had chosen to stay in Stormwind to learn a little from the priests there. She stayed in the Cathedral with the other priests, but frequently visited the Castle, having become good friends with Khadgar, Anduin and Taria. Khadgar suspected there was a certain individual involved in her decision to stay, but no one asked. They assumed when she was ready to disclose, she would. 

 

“I’m” he thought for a moment “... do you know much about shades?” he asked. He knew that the night elves dealt with a lot of manifestations after the destruction of the Well of Eternity. 

 

Neridel frowned, she was familiar with them and they weren’t easy to deal with. “I do, why do you ask?” 

 

Khadgar sighed, gesturing to the table in the library, “Do you have some time?” the night elf nodded, and moved over to the table and sat down. He went over what they had seen, and what had occured in his dream. Her face fell at the mention of just how many shades he had seen, and that he didn’t know the state of the inside of the tower. 

 

Neridel took a moment before responding, she knew that it would take a lot of priests and possibly the newly trained paladins to take on such a cleansing. “You will need a lot of people trained in the holy or healing arts. Essentially it’s a cleansing, setting the spirits free and putting them at rest. We have a fair amount of newly trained priests, and we could see if we could enlist the help of some of the paladins.” 

 

Khadgar nodded. It felt like a war all over again, but on a different front. If there were as many spirits inside the tower as there were outside, it would be quite an undertaking. They couldn’t rush into this, but they also couldn’t just let it sit either. He was also concerned if there were other things going on inside the tower as well. He would have to do some investigating and more research. 

 

“Thank you, Neridel, for your help. I’m very glad you decided to stay here in Stormwind, you have proved a great ally and friend.” he said with a smile. She returned the smile and rose to leave, “I will ask around for anyone who may be willing to help. I’ll keep the details quiet, until you have a better idea of what we’re facing.” she said before leaving. Khadgar moved over to the shelves and located a few books, before heading to his room. 

 

Anduin had briefed Taria on the state of the tower, and that Khadgar was going to do some research into what they were facing. He assured her that it didn’t seem as if the city would be threatened at the present moment, but they did want to address this quickly. He bumped into Khadgar as he was leaving the library, stack of books in hand. He took a few from the mage, and they walked together to their room. He had requested a servant bring some food to their quarters as he left Taria. They thanked her as she left their room, dropping off the platters. 

 

“I spoke with Neridel in the library” Khadgar started, grabbing his platter and sitting down on their bed to eat. “She thinks we have a chance of cleansing the spirits and setting the souls free. We would just need a lot of priests and she suggested the newly trained paladins as well. They also use holy spells.” 

 

Anduin nodded, chewing his food slowly. “It seems like this war is more your territory than mine.” he said a little glumly, he didn’t like not being able to feel a little more useful. “Although, do we know why these spirits are just now manifesting themselves?” 

 

“That’s what I’ve been wondering myself.” Khadgar’s brows knitting together in thought. “We might need to do some investigating to see just what is going on in Karazhan. He smiled a little and looked up. “For that, I need you.” 


	3. Corruption Runs Deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting a couple of chapters early due to Mother's Day and my birthday being this week. <3

“I don’t like this, bookworm.” Anduin growled, unsheathing his sword as they walked through the library of Karazhan. Khadgar had teleported them there, hoping the wards were still intact. They were, but he took the extra steps to strengthen them before they explored further. Khadgar rolled his eyes, pointing at the sword, “You can’t kill incorporeal beings with a sword, Anduin.”

 

“I feel better having it out.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

“I do.”

 

As the walked through the warded off quarters that Khadgar had used, what felt like a lifetime ago, things were quiet. There was plenty of dust, stale air, but nothing unusual or out of the ordinary. So far it appeared that the wards kept any of the shades or other manifestations away from these areas. It was good to note that at least they had somewhere to rest, set up as a base, if needed.

 

“We should probably start up the stairs, see if we run into anything.” Khadgar suggested, making his way towards the staircase just past his wards. Anduin followed close, his warrior eyes darting into all the corners. Khadgar had spells on the ready, just in case they needed them. As they stepped through the ward, they felt a significant change in the air, it almost hummed and was cooler, almost damp. Anduin’s head whipped to the right as a shade moved along the wall. It didn’t seem to acknowledge the warrior or the mage. It just sort of floated along an unseen path, before turning around and floating back again.

 

They started up the stairs, towards the top where the font once was. There was still a lot of debris on the staircase, in some places there were chunks of the once grand staircase completely missing. They were careful, making sure not to fall or trip while also keeping an eye out. They noticed a strange humming sound the higher they climbed, but nothing else. No shades were on the stairs.

 

Khadgar reached the top first, and gasped.

 

In the center of the font, where the body of the golem still lay, was a strange pulsing arcane manifestation. It was twisting around itself, humming and flashing various shades of pink, purple and blue. Anduin stared, mouth open, trying to make sense of what it was he was seeing. It seemed to be in the middle of trying to do something, The being seemed to sense their presence and stilled for a brief moment, studying the two men. It flashed to a bright, angry red before it started to cast.

 

Khadgar acted quickly and a shield went up over himself and Anduin just as a series of arcane missiles slammed into the barrier. He flinched just a bit as they hit, before firing back an arcane blast. It knocked the entity backwards, but didn’t seem to phase it much otherwise. It almost seemed to Khadgar that it had _absorbed_ the arcane energy of the attack. He switched to a fire spell, which stunned it for a brief moment before it resumed its attacks.

 

“We have to get out of here, I don’t know what it is, but I don’t think we can take it on just the two of us.” Khadgar grunted, strengthening his stance as another round of arcane missiles hit the shield. He could hold the shield for a while, but he wasn’t sure what good it would do if they couldn’t fight back against it.

 

“Get us out of here, Khadgar!” Anduin yelled as another round of larger and more rapidly cast arcane missiles hit the barrier. The being was starting to float towards them.

 

Khadgar’s eyes flashed blue as he swung his staff quickly around and cast the teleport. They landed safely in the courtyard. He dropped to one knee for just a moment, it was a little disorienting casting a teleport while holding a shield. Anduin was crouching next to him immediately, his hand on his back.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry, that just took a lot. I’ve never had to hold such a strong barrier before. Whatever that… _thing_ is, it’s powerful.”

 

Anduin helped him up, holding him steady until he was sure the mage wasn’t going to topple over. “You mean you aren’t sure what it was?” He was concerned, he depended on the mage to explain these types of things to him, but in this case it seemed Khadgar was actually stumped.

 

“It was… it was where Medivh died. Do you think that’s a coincidence?” He asked, trying to see if he could help figure out what it was. He hated feeling so lost, unable to fight a foe.

 

Khadgar shrugged, “I’m not sure. I do know of a book that could help shed some light, I should start reading it right away." He rubbed the back of his neck, he really wasn’t sure what the being was, only that it was very strong. He thought over what Anduin said, it did seem like more than just a coincidence that it was in the font, near where Medivh had died. He needed more information, they had no clue what they were facing.

 

“Come on, let’s go eat and see if we can’t figure this out, bookworm.” Anduin said, taking his hand and leading him into the castle.

 

They grabbed some food and headed towards the library. Khadgar yanked off his cloak, tossing it over one of the chairs and grabbed a book off the shelf before sitting down. Anduin set their food out, nudging Khadgar gently towards it. He knew if he didn’t prod the mage to eat, he wouldn’t eat at all. Khadgar looked at the food, then up towards Anduin with a smile. He grabbed the front of the warrior’s tunic, pulling him down for a kiss before turning his attention to the food.

 

Anduin sat across from him, trying to read the book upside down when Khadgar laid it on the table, but realized it was in a language he didn’t understand. He sat back, trying to think of a way to be at least somewhat useful when he had an idea. He walked over to where they kept the maps and blueprints, digging until he finally found what he was looking for.

 

Khadgar had noticed Anduin digging at the maps but didn’t pay him any attention until he came back over with a big grin on his face. “What is it?” he asked as Anduin laid the map down on the table a few feet over from them. He looked over as it was unrolled and realized he was looking at a rough blueprint of the layout of Karazhan.

 

“I thought we could use this as a guide, see what areas are corrupted and what aren’t.” Anduin replied, happy he finally felt useful. Khadgar smiled, “That’s actually a good idea, it will also help us not overlook anything as well. We already know this area here, where the library and my quarters are, is safe.” he said pointing them out. “We also know that here.” smacking the parchment where the top of the tower was shown “is where that… _thing_ is.”

 

Anduin smiled as Khadgar kept talking, finally feeling useful again.


	4. Karazhan is Haunted

Neridel felt his presence before she could see him, the holy power that surged within his body. She turned to face him, smiling gently as he came into the room. Before she had met him, she would have never been interested in humans as partners. Their lifespans so short compared to that of her fellow Night Elves. He was wise beyond his years, and she was drawn to his strength and honesty. He had not yet been a paladin when they met, he was originally looking at becoming a warrior or a priest. When the call went out, and the new order was created, he joined immediately. It was the best of both worlds for him, the strength of a warrior, the healing power of the Light.

 

“Hello, my love.” she cooed gently, a little giggle when his mustache tickled as he kissed her cheek. She helped him remove his armor, and took his sword and placed it in it’s corner. 

 

Valramian pulled Neridel to him once his armor was off and put away, kissing her more properly. “Hello, love.” he smiled at her. He brushed a strand of her white hair away from her face, gently touching her cheek. “How did today go?” 

 

“It went well, I have found quite a few priests willing to do what the Guardian needs us to do.” she replied, leaning into his touch before breaking away to put the finishing touches on dinner. “He and Lothar went to scout out the inside of the tower to see how badly corrupted it is on the inside. I have not seen them yet to hear how it went.” 

 

He nodded as he went to grab the plates and set them on the table. “I spoke with a few of the other paladins today, we can’t spare too many, only myself and about 4 others. We will be more than happy to lend a hand.” 

 

Neridel smiled as they sat down to eat their dinner, glad that they would be able to help the Guardian together. 

 

\------------

 

Khadgar slammed another book closed, tossing it into the ever growing pile of what he considered useless. 

 

Anduin shot straight up from where he had fallen asleep at the sound of the book slamming shut. He stared at the mage for a long minute before speaking.

 

“Are you trying to scare me to death?” he barked, irritated at being woken up by nothing more than a tantrum from the frustrated mage. 

 

“I told you to go to our room hours ago.” Khadgar snapped back, not turning from the bookshelf he was staring at, expecting the book he needed to just jump out. 

 

Anduin sighed, he knew the mage was going to work himself to exhaustion, which wasn’t going to pleasant for anyone. He stood up, crossing the room and placed his hands on Khadgar’s shoulders, massaging them. 

 

“You should try to sleep. It will give you a break and you can pick up where you left off. It might give you a better idea of what to do.” 

 

Khadgar relaxed into Anduin’s touch, he knew he was being unreasonable. He hated feeling so helpless, so unable to solve the problem. Things had been so calm, peaceful and easy to fix since Gul’dan fell that this frustrated him beyond words. He turned to face Anduin, cupping his face with a hand before kissing him gently. “I’m sorry.” he said a little sheepishly. “I’m not feeling like much of a Guardian right now. I feel more like that arrogant kid you slammed onto your desk instead.”

 

Anduin smiled, glad to see the mage more like his normal self, kissed him back “It’s okay, you can’t be expected to know everything. Then what would be the point of all these books you read?”

 

Khadgar laughed and shook his head, wrapping his arms around Anduin and tucking his head into his neck. Having Anduin in his life kept him grounded, sane in a way. They had grown very close since Gul’dan’s death. Their connection was deep, much deeper than just their love for each other. They could read each other well, knowing when to push the other and when to back off. On the battlefield they seemed to work in sync without ever uttering a word. 

 

Anduin pulled Khadgar to him, rubbing his back in soothing circles. He knew the mage was frustrated and just wanted him to relax. “Let’s go to bed. All of this can wait until the morning, bookworm.” Khadgar nodded and allowed himself to be led out of the library and to their quarters. 

 

Once in their room, the pair changed into their sleep clothes, climbing into bed together. Anduin pulled Khadgar into his arms, kissing his forehead as they settled in to sleep. It didn’t take long for the two men to drift off to sleep, safe and content in each other’s arms. 

 

\-----------

 

_ Laughter echoes through the tower, bouncing off the walls and down the winding staircase. The wards Khadgar had so carefully placed shatter in an instant, the tower filling with phantoms and spirits. In the Opera House, actors and stage hands take their places, putting on a show for a room full of ghosts. Cooks and servants prepare a feast, for spectral attendants. There is dancing and music, haunting in melody, a number played that has no end. Karazhan is haunted, cursed, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. _


	5. Powers of the Light and Elune

Khadgar was restlessly pacing waiting for Anduin to finish whatever it was that Regent/Commanders did before heading out to a battle. He hadn’t really wanted the warrior to come with them, there wasn't going to be much he could do. This fight primarily rested with the priests and paladins, and Khadgar. There had also been the shattering of the wards he had placed, it had woken him up in a cold sweat the night it happened. The pulse in his mind was so loud he could have sworn Anduin could hear it. He was unsure of what they were going to be heading into. They were going to take a small party on the gryphons they had recently acquired from the Wildhammers for helping with the dwarves troll troubles. So far their alliances were strong, and he was grateful Anduin had the forethought to secure them. 

 

“You’re gonna wear a rut in the grass, spell chucker.” 

 

Khadgar stopped his pacing to look at Anduin, who was smirking at him. He glared at him in response, still angry from their bickering earlier that morning. He just grunted in reply. 

 

Anduin sighed, he figured the mage might still be a bit annoyed with him. He understood that they were going to be fighting things that Anduin didn’t have much power against, but he still had a military mind. While what they were facing may be incorporeal, they still could benefit from having him there. He was also worried for Khadgar, but he couldn’t express that when the mage was this riled up. 

 

“Everyone is ready, we’re just waiting on you.” he tried instead.

 

Khadgar nodded, taking off towards the flight master. Anduin reached out to stop him. 

 

“Hey, let's not start this off mad at eachother. Please?” 

 

Khadgar sighed and turned to face him. “I’m sorry. I understand why you want to come, I just don’t know what we’re facing and I’m worried for you. While we can fight back against these shades and manifestations, you don’t have any form of magic.” he figured honesty was the best policy at this point, there wasn’t much they could hide from each other. He hoped he wasn’t upsetting Anduin, that wouldn’t make what they had to do any easier. 

 

Anduin smiled “You let me worry about what I can handle, spell chucker.” he put his arm around Khadgar’s shoulders, “Now let’s go cleanse a tower.” 

 

\----------------

 

Neridel stepped away from the young priest she had urged to rest, taking his place in cleansing the grounds around Karazhan of the shades. They were clearing the area where the ruined buildings were in order to set up an encampment. Khadgar was not certain the inside of the tower was safe after his wards had been shattered. She smiled gratefully back at Anduin as he handed the priest some water, praising him for working so hard that day. 

 

Anduin smiled back at Neridel as he sat next to the priest, keeping him company. He knew that this battle was not one he could fight head on, so he was falling into a more supportive role. He could see the toll that dealing with the shades was taking on their party. Even Khadgar, with all his Guardian capabilities, was looking very worn out. He still was unsettled, fighting an enemy of which he had no way to fight, but he trusted those in their company well enough. He was also quite impressed with the paladin Neridel had introduced them to, he realized now why she had decided to stay in Stormwind. Valramian was leading the group of paladins that had accompanied them, and he was a very strong leader. Anduin looked forward to seeing how far he would go. 

 

“Anduin” Khadgar said, making his way to where he was still sitting with the priest. “If you want, we should be good to start setting up camp now. We have almost all the shades in this area cleaned out, there’s only a few left over by the graveyard…” he trailed off, brows furrowing. Anduin knew what that look meant. “Have Neridel and Valramian handle that area, you stay here with us and we’ll get things set up, okay?” Khadgar nodded, calling over to Neridel, who nodded as he gave her instructions and took off with Valramian to handle the remaining shades. 

 

Their group made quick work of setting up the tents, laying out bedrolls and getting cooking fires started. Khadgar placed a shield around their camp, there were still orcs that roamed the nearby areas and they weren’t sure what other dangers lay around the tower itself. He sat down heavily next to Anduin in front of a fire, staring blankly at it as it burned. He was exhausted, and they had not even breached the tower itself yet. He felt like something had been watching them as they cleared the shades today. He glanced up towards the tower, studying the windows for a moment. 

 

Anduin frowned as he watched Khadgar studying the tower. He wondered if the mage felt what he had felt too, that something was watching them. He thanked Neridel as she handed him two bowls of the stew one of the priests had made, tapping Khadgar on the arm gently and handing him one of them. “Eat, you need to build up your strength.” he said with a smile. Khadgar smiled back, taking the bowl and eating quietly. They sat in silence after eating before they both slipped into the tent, Anduin coaxing Khadgar to get some sleep after the long day they had. 

 

_ The cries of the spirits as they were released enraged those still trapped within the tower. Every room buzzed with activity, spirits angry they were still trapped while those who were outside were free. At the top of the tower, watching unseen, a ghostly figure stood. He chuckled to himself, watching the young Guardian down below as well as Anduin Lothar.  _


	6. Not Alone

Khadgar was hesitant, he could feel the energy radiating from the tower as they stood in front of the door at the ground entrance. Neridel stepped up behind him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. He turned to meet her eyes, “We are with you, Guardian.” she said softly, with a gentle smile. He nodded, and then murmured the incantation to remove the ward, allowing them entrance. He stepped in first, Neridel and Valramian following through behind him. The 4 paladins and 5 priests followed quickly after, with Anduin bringing up the rear and closing the door. Khadgar warded the door again, keeping any shades or manifestations from trying to leave while they worked on cleansing the tower. 

 

They set to work quickly, their goal was to clear the guest quarters so they had somewhere more comfortable to sleep that night. They worked well past lunch time, when Anduin coaxed them all to rest up and eat. They had quite a bit of the first floor cleared out, he didn’t like them pushing themselves to exhaustion. 

 

Khadgar ate slowly, seemingly distracted by something. He could feel the presence, and it felt different this time. He didn’t want to say anything to Anduin, though he was sure the warrior could read him like a book. It would have to wait until later, when they were alone. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and stared down at his food. 

 

“You need to eat.” Anduin said behind him, placing his hands on the mage’s shoulders and rubbing them. He knew Khadgar was distracted by something, even he felt something a bit off about the tower since the last time they were there. It was a presence he could feel. He rubbed the knots out of Khadgar’s shoulders as the mage nibbled on the food. Apparently his appetite had not improved since the previous night. 

 

“I know, I know. I just… something isn’t right, Anduin. I just can’t seem to put my finger on it.” Khadgar forced himself to eat a little, knowing it would make Anduin feel better. He noticed the priests and paladins had already finished and Neridel and Valramian were giving orders for the next steps. He was glad to have those two along, they worked well together and seemed to be able to read Khadgar and Anduin quite well. Valramian followed the others as they headed off to get started while Neridel approached the couple. 

 

“We don’t have much left to do, our priests and paladins can handle the rest if you guys were up to preparing the quarters for sleeping, I could help you get that done.” she said, sitting down with the warrior and mage. She could read Khadgar well, and could tell he was wearing himself to the point of exhaustion. She could also feel the same presence he was, and it was unsettling. It wasn’t malicious, but it wasn’t very kind either. It definitely took offense to them being in the tower. 

 

Anduin nodded, looking to Khadgar. “I think you’ve done enough today, you’re gonna wear yourself into mana exhaustion. Let’s get the rooms prepared. There are quite a few with multiple beds, we’ll bunk people up so no one is alone.” Neridel nodded, and headed off to locate linens and such to freshen the beds. “Khadgar, do you think you have enough energy to ward this area? You’re very in tune with your wards, it seems the safest way.” Khadgar nodded this time, finishing his food and heading off to do so. 

 

As Khadgar walked around placing the wards, he felt a push, as if someone was testing the wards. He shook his head, wondering if the manifestations were a little stronger than they thought. He went with a different spell, making the wards stronger than he had originally intended. It would take a little more out of him, but he could manage. The food and rest had helped regain a bit of his strength so he didn’t feel as exhausted as he had earlier. 

 

He had just placed the last ward when Valramian came back with the priests and paladins, having finished clearing the first floor rooms of all the shades and manifestations. The manifestations were a little harder to deal with, so they were all feeling a bit drained. They would have to take their time as they went through the rest of the tower, lest they all succumb to mana exhaustion. Everyone ate light, and turned in early, feeling much more secure behind Khadgar’s wards than they did out in the courtyard the night before. Anduin led Khadgar to the room Neridel had prepared for the two of them, the room she and Valramian were taking right across the hall in case they were needed. He helped the mage get his boots and tunic off and into bed. 

 

“You feel it too, don’t you?” he asked as he pulled off his own boots and tunic, climbing in bed next to Khadgar and pulling him to his chest. Khadgar only nodded, then looked up at Anduin. 

 

“It feels like…” 

 

“I know. It can’t be though, Khadgar. He’s gone.” 


	7. Old Friends

_ “Getting some ideas for what you’re going to do with the place now that it’s yours?” the words were snarled in Khadgar’s direction as he was lifted and again thrown against the bookcase. He could feel the former Guardian’s anger through the spell used to hold him in place.  _

 

_ “Medivh! Don’t!” Anduin appeared to the right, and Medivh turned to face him, dropping Khadgar to the ground as he released the spell holding him in place. Runes formed around his hand as he was casting towards Anduin now.  _

 

_ “NO!” Khadgar yelled as he cast a spell to knock Medivh’s hand away and prevent the former Guardian from hurting Anduin. _

 

Anduin woke with a start. He heard Khadgar yell a spell, and now there was a smoldering pile of wood where a dresser once stood. He turned and grabbed Khadgar, putting his hand over his mouth when the mage started to cast another spell. Khadgar finally woke, realized where he was and launched himself against Anduin, sobbing. 

 

Neridel and Valramian lept out of bed when they heard the Guardian yell, flinging open the door to the room Khadgar and Anduin were in. They found the warrior holding a very upset and sobbing mage. Valramian put his sword down once he realized there was no danger, raising an eyebrow at the smoldering pile of wood. He went to retrieve some water to douse the ashes while Neridel approached the bed. 

 

“Nightmare.” Anduin supplied, rubbing Khadgar’s back as the sobs quieted down and the mage’s breathing was slowed. Neridel nodded, sitting down next to the two. “Are either of you hurt?” she asked. Anduin shook his head. “He hit the dresser, thankfully. He normally has a lot of control over his powers, I’ve never seen him react this strongly. There’s something wrong in this place.” he frowned. 

 

Khadgar had heard the priest and paladin enter the room but was still so panicked he couldn’t focus on them. He was glad to hear Anduin say that he had only hit the dresser, he would have been devastated if he had hurt Anduin, or anyone else for that matter. He finally pulled back from Anduin, sitting up and taking in the view of the room. Valramian had returned and was carefully dousing the ashes with some water, just to be sure nothing else caught fire. Fortunately the rooms were made with stone and the fire didn’t spread beyond the now destroyed dresser. He looked up and met Neridel and Anduin’s concerned faces and dropped his head. 

 

“I’m… I’m sorry. In the nightmare I was…” he stopped, should he mention who was in the nightmare? He wasn’t sure how well it would be received given where they currently were. Valramian had finished what he was doing, calmed the priests and paladins and sent them back to bed, closing the door and coming to stand beside Neridel. 

 

“Can we keep the details to this room, please?” he continued. Once they all nodded, “In the nightmare I was here, and Medivh was as well. He was angry with me, accusing me the same way he did when I met him about my ideas for the place now that it was mine.” he noticed the look on Anduin’s face, knowing the warrior was remembering that day. 

 

“Anduin appeared in the dream, and Medivh went to attack him. The spell I was using in the dream to stop him was what I spoke out loud and… “ he trailed off, his gaze looking towards the blackened ashes and scorch mark on the stone. 

 

“There’s great energy here, it’s no surprise that it seems to have affected you the way it has. In truth, it has affected us as well.” Neridel said, gesturing between herself and Valramian. “There’s also a… presence we both have felt. I have my suspicions you both have felt it as well.” 

 

Anduin nodded, “Yes, there’s a presence here, we spoke last night about how it felt familiar to us. It doesn’t feel…” he trailed off, unsure of the word he was looking for. 

 

“Malicious?” Valramian supplied. “We feel the same. Though it is definitely offended we are here.”

 

Khadgar nodded, feeling the same way the others did. He flinched as he felt something push against one of his wards. The one closest to the staircase. Anduin noticed him flinch, “What is it?” 

 

“There’s something pushing against one of my wards, near the staircase.” 

 

They all dressed quickly, taking care not to disturb the other priests and paladins in the other rooms further down the hall. Luckily the staircase was the opposite direction. The end of the hall was dark, as they approached the end and Khadgar’s ward, he lit the torches at the entrance. 

 

Standing there just outside of the ward, in the same deep burgundy cloak and robes Khadgar had seen him wearing the day they met, was Medivh. Neridel and Valramian gasped behind Khadgar, Anduin gripped his arm, wanting to pull him back and run.

 

“It’s good to see you, Lothar. Khadgar.”


	8. Why Are You Here?

_ “Medivh?!?”  _

 

Khadgar squeaked the former Guardian’s name through the tightness in his throat. He was vaguely aware of Anduin’s grip on his arm, almost to the point of pain. The ward between the group and Medivh shimmered, then cracked as Medivh pushed on it with enough arcane force to break it. Khadgar went to cast a shield but was silenced by Medivh before he could finish the incantation. 

 

“I’m not here to harm you, Khadgar. Why are you here? Why have you returned to Karazhan?” 

 

Anduin put himself in front of Khadgar, glaring at Medivh. “You’re  _ dead. _ Why are  _ you  _ here?” he growled at the former Guardian, his dead friend. All at once he was confronted with the feelings he thought he had long since dealt with. Losing Callan, Medivh’s betrayal and death, Llane’s death and Garona’s betrayal. Now here stood his dead friend, using spells against Khadgar,  _ his  _ Khadgar. 

 

Medivh leveled a look at Anduin and stepped back, removing the silencing spell he was using against Khadgar. He raised his hands in retreat and lowered his head. He should have known that he wouldn’t receive the same warm welcome he had in the past. Before he opened the portal and let evil into their world. While he couldn’t remember, he still should have done something to find out what was going on and why he was missing days at a time. 

 

“I’m not here to fight with any of you. Yes, Anduin, I died. I can’t explain why I’m standing here before you other than my spirit and the magic of this place allowed me to once again exist. I am bound to this tower, I cannot leave it.” 

 

Neridel and Valramian exchanged looks, unsure of what to do with the scene that was unfolding in front of them. Neridel stepped next to Khadgar, giving him a quick look to be sure he was okay. He nodded and turned back to Medivh. 

 

“We are putting to rest the spirits that were destroyed here, Magus.” Neridel said, placing a hand on Khadgar’s shoulder when he went to interrupt. “The young Guardian here was alerted to the disturbance of the tower and we came to help him. While we understand you may find our presence here intrusive, we are only doing what we feel is best for the spirits and the tower itself.” 

 

Medivh turned to look at the woman speaking, giving her a once over. “Night elf, interesting. A priest? Yes, priests are effective at giving restless spirits the peace they need.” he turned his head to look at the man who had stepped up behind the night elf. “You are harder to read, your body and use of that sword on your hip says warrior, but I can feel holy light radiating off of you. What are you?” 

 

“He’s part of a new order, they call themselves Paladins. They are warriors of the light.” 

 

Medivh focused his attention on Khadgar, nothing the subtle ways the young Guardian and the warrior, his old friend, stood. Close, but not as friends, lovers then?

 

Anduin noticed the way Medivh was analyzing himself and Khadgar, could see the smirk playing on the mage’s lips. He narrowed his eyes “We are in Karazhan to clean up  _ your  _ mess. If you don’t mind, we’d like to finish doing that without any interference from you.” 

 

Medivh stepped back, shamed by the reminders that he was responsible for the deaths of all those who had once inhabited the tower with him. He couldn’t remember much, if any, of the event. Only the screams and the smell of felfire in his nightmares. He bowed his head, and teleported away wordlessly. Leaving the four standing there staring at the spot where the mage stood only a moment before. 

 

Khadgar sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose and trying to calm himself. His mind was reeling, trying to understand what Medivh was saying. Bound to the tower, but alive? It was too much. He stepped forward and raised his hand, placing another ward, this one marked with a specific signature so that only Khadgar himself could remove it. Once it was in place he turned to the three standing behind him. “He won’t be able to remove this one, and he won’t be able to come through it either. I have a feeling tomorrow will be a more interesting day. But for now, we should sleep.” 

 

Once back in their room, Anduin watched Khadgar remove his boots and most of his clothing before collapsing on the bed with a sob. He moved over to the bed, rubbing the mage’s back until the other man was calm enough to turn and look at him. 

 

“I’m.. I’m sorry. When you left the tower that day, he came back to us. He opened the portal to Stormwind… Before he died I could see the regret. See the sadness. It was so hard just looking at him, having him back. It feels wrong, but I just…” Khadgar looked up at Anduin, cupping his cheek “Say something, please.” 

 

Anduin sighed, leaning into Khadgar’s touch and moving to lay next to the mage. “I hated him, I still hate him. My son, my best friend are dead because of him. He betrayed us. If he is that… thing that attacked us, how do we know we can trust him? How do we know it’s really him?” 

 

“We don’t, Anduin.” 


	9. Forgotten Memories

Medivh stood at the top of the tower, looking out over the desolate landscape around the tower. The felstorm released by Khadgar wrought havoc and destruction, though it was for the best. Otherwise the young mage would have been taken over by the demon and the fel the way he himself had. 

 

He wasn’t sure what kind of welcome he was expecting when he approached the group a couple of hours ago. He understood Khadgar’s apprehension and suspicion, he vaguely remembered lashing out before he was able to be corporeal again. The young mage was strong, keeping himself and Anduin safe and teleported away before either were hurt. The pain in Anduin’s eyes was the worst. He knew he was responsible for Callan’s death, and Llane’s. It was with deep regret that he recalled the final events, being locked inside his own mind as he listened to the demon open the portal to the orc homeworld. Screaming but unable to be heard when the demon used his body to lash out at Anduin and Khadgar when they came to the tower. For the briefest of moments, Anduin got through to him and he fought through only to be suppressed again moments later. 

 

He wasn’t sure why he had this second chance, if no one seemed interested in having him around. He had warded this upper level, this single floor of the tower. Let Khadgar, Anduin and their group take care of the spirits, as they had set out to do. He was going to stay up here and mind his own and hope they leave him be. Once they finished their work, hopefully they would leave and not come back. 

 

\------------------------

 

Khadgar didn’t sleep well, and from the tossing and turning Anduin had done, it seemed the warrior had not either. It wasn’t surprising, being confronted with the man you killed in the middle of the night. Khadgar had not missed the hurt in Medivh’s eyes as he teleported away, but he wasn’t sure what to think of the matter. The former Guardian had to understand why they all reacted the way they did. He looked over to Anduin, who had settled on his side facing away from Khadgar. He reached out, gently placing a hand on the warrior’s back. 

 

Anduin felt Khadgar’s hand on his back, and looked over his shoulder, “I’m sorry, did I wake you?” he asked softly. He hardly slept, being confronted with his dead friend in the flesh and the flood of memories that came with it had not helped. He rolled to face Khadgar, seeing that the mage had not slept any better. “Looks like you didn’t sleep much better than I did, I’m sorry.” he caressed his cheek and threaded his fingers through Khadgar’s dark hair, pushing it back away from his face. 

 

“You didn’t wake me, don’t worry. Also, don’t apologize, it’s not like either of us planned on this happening.” Khadgar leaned into the touches, then reached out to push Anduin’s long locks away from his face. He frowned when he saw the drying tears on the warrior’s face. Khadgar pulled Anduin to him, the warrior buried his face in Khadgar’s neck and took a deep breath. They just held each other, neither needed to speak, they were just trying to give each other the strength to face the day. 

 

\--------------

 

Valramian and Neridel decided to let Khadgar and Anduin take as much time as they needed, they were sure to need it after seeing Medivh the night before. Neridel could feel the energy from Medivh cut off, she assumed that the former Guardian had placed a ward at the top of the tower, sealing himself away. They could work with that, it seemed he was as keen to leave them alone as they were to do the same. They gave the priests and paladins they were with their assignments for the day, they were working on the opera house and a few other areas on the bottom floors before working further up. If any of them noticed the absence of the Guardian and Regent, none of them said a word. 

 

They didn’t have much trouble throughout the day, when they took a break in the early afternoon, Khadgar had prepared food for them. He made sure everyone was fed and rested before he let them go back to their assignments. 

 

“Thank you, for handling this today.” he said to the paladin and priest when the rest had left. “I think the events of last night hit us a little harder than we expected.” Neridel nodded, “How is Anduin handling things?” he had not emerged from the room he and Khadgar were sharing, she was worried. 

 

“Not well, seeing Medivh brought up a lot of long buried demons for Anduin. He blames him for everything, losing his son and his friend. I think he feels anger that Medivh is here, in the flesh as it were, while the others are still dead and buried.” Khadgar’s voice was soft and full of sorrow. Nothing he could say or do could help the hurt Anduin was dealing with. He had done all he could for the warrior but it just wasn’t enough. “He’s unable to sleep without nightmares, and I don’t know of anything to help.” 

 

Neridel stepped over to Khadgar and hugged him gently. “Thank you, Neridel, Valramian, for all your help.” he said quietly as he returned the hug. She looked to the paladin, “Could you get my pouch from our room, please love?” Valramian nodded, returning after a moment with a small leather pouch. She took it from him, opening it and pulling out a small vial. She pressed it into Khadgar’s hand, “We need you and Anduin to rest, split this between the two of you and sleep. It will allow you to rest without dreams.” Khadgar hugged her again, nodded a thank you to Valramian and retreated back to their room. 

 

Anduin was standing by the window in just his soft pajama bottoms, staring blankly at the landscape. Khadgar removed most of his clothing down to his soft linen pants, guided Anduin to the bed and took his portion of the potion. It was a little bitter but had an instant calming effect. He offered the other half to Anduin who took it without question. They both laid down, Anduin wrapping himself around Khadgar and they fell into dreamless sleep. 


	10. Leaving Karazhan

Anduin woke early the following morning, feeling better rested than he had in weeks. He looked down at Khadgar, the other man was pressed close to him, arm around his waist and a leg draped over his own. He was still fast asleep, looking like he was more well rested too. Anduin gently removed himself from Khadgar, standing up to stretch. He stepped into the adjoining wash room and cleaned up a bit before stepping out into the hall. Everything was quiet, it seemed everyone was still asleep. He set to work preparing breakfast, knowing that everyone would start to rise soon. 

 

Valramian was the first to appear, smiling warmly at Anduin. “Good morning, how are you feeling?” the paladin asked, helping to finish setting out the food he had prepared. 

 

Anduin returned the smile, “Better, much better. I have a feeling Khadgar will be feeling the same way once he wakes.” He gestured to the food, “Eat up, I know you guys have a busy day ahead of you.” 

 

Neridel appeared shortly after Valramian sat down, glad to see Anduin in better spirits. “Good morning, breakfast smells amazing, thank you Anduin.” 

 

“No, Thank you, Neridel. Whatever that was helped immensely. Khadgar is still asleep, but I imagine he will wake shortly once he smells…” 

 

“Food. I smell food. Morning everyone.” Khadgar said with a smile, cutting Anduin off mid sentence. After a shared laugh, they and the other priests and paladins ate and cleaned up before starting on their last bits of the tower. 

 

Khadgar, Neridel and Valramian personally handled the library. There weren’t many shades and manifestations in there, so they had it cleared out quite quickly. Anduin joined them as they were finishing up, they all looked up the staircase leading to the very top of the tower. There were no shades between them and Medivh. Khadgar could feel the ward that was placed, he assumed it was the former Guardian’s way of letting them know he intended to leave them alone and would like to be left alone. 

 

Khadgar turned to the other three, “I’m going to straighten up the library a bit and make sure there’s nothing here that could draw any unwanted attention. You three make sure everyone is finished up and we’ll start our journey home tomorrow morning.” Anduin hesitated leaving Khadgar there, but did as he wished. 

 

He put the few books that had been left out the last time he had been in the tower looking for a specific text away and took a general look over the library. He started to leave when he heard a teleport spell behind him. He turned to see Medivh standing there. 

 

“You don’t intend on silencing me again, do you Medivh?” Khadgar asked with a bitter edge to his voice.

 

“No, Khadgar. I do apologize. I only wished to speak with you and I understand the way I went about it was probably not...” 

 

“You show yourself after we’ve believed you dead, silence me and get angry with us for being in Karazhan, as if somehow nothing that you did in the past mattered!” Khadgar’s temper got the better of him, Anduin’s despair from the day before had bothered him deeply. He took a deep breath and reigned himself in, telling himself to try to hear the Magus out. 

 

Medivh bowed his head, he supposed he deserved that. “I don’t expect forgiveness for what I’ve done.” he started softly, looking back to Khadgar “I am responsible for many deaths, including one of my best friends and the son of the other. I brought evil into this world, evil which you yourself have had to banish. I am  _ sorry _ Khadgar. I meant what I said to you that day, I wanted to save us all.” 

 

Khadgar was taken aback by Medivh’s words, his anger dissipating entirely. Medivh sounded so broken, so sincere. “What is it that you want from us, Medivh?” he asked finally. 

 

“I can tell that you’ve cleansed the tower and overheard that you were leaving in the morning. I only ask that you ward this place so that no one can come in here. I’m bound to the tower, I cannot leave. I’m not strong enough to keep any evil out of here. You, and Anduin should he wish to, I welcome to come visit if you ever wish to speak with me. I miss my friend, I regret deeply that he has been hurt by my actions, or inactions, depending on how you view them. Karazhan is yours, Guardian, it’s library and resources are always available to you.” Medivh responded, gesturing to the books surrounding them. 

 

Khadgar nodded, “I can handle that. Thank you, Medivh.” 

 

“No, Khadgar, thank  _ you _ for freeing me.” Medivh said, clapping a hand on Khadgar’s shoulder before teleporting back to the top of the tower. Khadgar sighed and then turned to leave. 

 

\----------------

 

“Do you believe him?” Anduin asked Khadgar that night, as the two men along with Neridel and Valramian shared a bottle of wine in their room. Khadgar shrugged, taking a drink of the wine and looking up at Anduin. “He seemed sincere. He sounded… defeated. I feel he truly regrets what has happened. I think maybe we just need time, Anduin.” 

 

“You don’t need to make any decisions regarding him right now, not when things are still fresh.” Neridel agreed, Valramian nodding behind her. “Let’s focus on the fact that we were able to complete what we set out to do. The tower is cleansed and the souls are at rest. When we leave, Khadgar can set the wards to keep anyone out who may try to do any harm. At least until you’re sure as to what steps you wish to take next.” 

 

The following morning, everyone packed and ready to go, Khadgar set wards. They were strong, with his specific signature so that only he could be the one to open them. With one last look over the tower, Khadgar climbed on the gryphon behind Anduin and they left Karazhan. 


	11. Commitment

 

Khadgar was walking down the steps, leaving the castle, heading towards the barracks where the guards had told him Anduin headed. He had been cooped up in the library for the last few hours and wanted a break. He was hoping Anduin wasn’t too busy and could come along. He stepped into the barracks with a smile, stopping in front of the door to Anduin’s office. It was in that room they first met, when Anduin pinned him to the desk with a  _ map compass. _ It was hard to believe that was almost 2 years ago. He knocked on the door before opening it and seeing Anduin sitting at the desk. 

 

Anduin looked up towards the door, smiling when he saw Khadgar come in and shut the door behind him. “Hey, didn’t think I’d see you leave that library anytime soon.” he teased, leaning back in his chair. He was grateful Khadgar had showed up, he was tired of reading the reports, the words were starting to swim together on the parchments. He never understood how Khadgar could read books for hours on end. 

 

Khadgar rolled his eyes, “Very funny, I was actually taking a break and wanted to know if you wanted to come along? I was thinking about grabbing some food and heading out to Crystal Lake.” He sat on the edge of Anduin’s desk, looking down at the warrior. They seemed to be back to their usual selves after the events at Karazhan. Khadgar had gone to see Medivh alone, speaking to him about his return and what he intended on doing. For now, Medivh wanted to take time to try to remember how and when he had been taken over by the fel, the timeline was quite unclear. The plan was eventually to bring Anduin so the two friends could try to reconnect, but Khadgar was not going to push the warrior until he was ready. 

 

Anduin looked the mage over, with things calming back down a little excursion outside of the city sounded nice. “Sure, I just need to grab a couple of things, meet you outside in a minute?” Once Khadgar left, he stacked up the reports, put a few things away and then opened a drawer in the desk. Tucked in the very back was a small pouch, he pulled that out and stuck it in his tunic, then headed to meet Khadgar outside. 

 

They stopped and grabbed some food, Khadgar snagged a couple of pastries from the baker and Anduin stopped and bought a bottle of wine. Anduin looked at their full arms, “It would be faster if you ported us.” Khadgar laughed, porting them to the lake fairly quickly. They sat under a tree, side by side and set the items around themselves. 

 

Khadgar took a bite of one of the pastries he had brought, he couldn’t wait. Anduin just laughed at him, “What is it with you and sweets?” he said teasingly, grabbing the other one and taking a bite. “Oh, wow this is good.” It was Khadgar’s turn to laugh, “Now do you see? They’re delicious.” They ate fairly quickly, and were sharing the wine to wash everything down. Anduin put his arm around Khadgar’s shoulders, and pulled the mage to him. Khadgar rested his head on Anduin’s shoulder, “It’s so peaceful out here.” 

 

“It really is, I’m glad you asked me to come with you, this is nice.” Anduin replied, kissing the top of his head. Khadgar looked up and kissed Anduin properly, smiling against his lips as Anduin broke the kiss. 

 

Anduin knew that this was a great time, but he was a bundle of nerves. Khadgar seemed to pick up on the nervousness in Anduin’s eyes, “Is something wrong? Are you okay?” he asked, turning to face him a little better. Anduin smiled, a little more reassuringly. He sat up, pulling Khadgar into a hug, “Nothing, I’m just really happy we’re together. We’ve dealt with a lot since we met.” 

 

“Yeah, you slamming me into a desk, leaving me on the floor when Medivh dropped me… great first impressions there, Anduin.” Khadgar teased before continuing, “But we stopped Medivh, we stopped Gul’dan. We’ve forged alliances and pushed back against the orcs. We’ve cleansed a tower and found an old friend, who does want to see you, by the way.” 

 

Anduin smiled, “I know he does, maybe sometime soon. I’m feeling a little more comfortable with the idea that he’s… alive.” he took Khadgar’s hands in his, “What I’m saying is, we’ve handled everything together, you’ve always had my back and I’ve always had yours.” he let go of Khadgar’s hands to retrieve the small pouch from his tunic. He gently opened the laces, his heart pounding in his chest. He reached in and pulled out a beautiful gold ring, with a large blue stone set in the middle. It glinted in the sunlight as he held it out to Khadgar, clearing his throat. He looked up, locking eyes with the younger man, “I was wondering if you would accept this as a symbol of commitment.” He held his breath, watching Khadgar’s face. 

 

Khadgar held Anduin’s eyes, speechless for a moment, before looking down and taking the ring from Anduin. The stone glittered the same color as his spells, he knew Anduin took special care in selecting it. He slid it on his hand, looking back up to Anduin before breaking into a grin, “Of course I will!” he said finally, before wrapping his arms around Anduin and kissing him deeply. Anduin sighed with relief, kissing Khadgar back and pulling him closer. 

 

“I love you, Khadgar.” 

 

“I love you too, Anduin.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm happy for the boys! I do have another installment in process for these two, and for my original characters. I'm gonna get quite a ways into it before I start to post it. Thank you for reading and for all your comments and kudos <3


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